Rotary alphabet-printing tabulator



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ROTARY ALPHABET PRINTING TABULATOR Filed April 22, 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet6 40 FRED M. CARROLL 351 i 6mm, A

Sept. 3, 1929. v F. M. CARROLL 1,726,539

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Sept. 3, 1929. F. M. CA I'QQLL 1,726,539

ROTARY ALPHABET PRINTING TABULATOR Filed April 22, 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet8 v I 3 I mu 5 93 F amaemfop I FRED M. CARROLL 1 55:. 3, 1929. F, M,CARR LL 1,726,539

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Sept. 3, 1929. F. M. CARROLL 1,726,539

ROTARY ALPHABET PRINTING TABULATOR Filed- April 22. 1927 15 Sheets-Sheet15 @513 flaw/mug Sept. 3, 1929.

FRED M. CARROLL, OF YONKEH-S,

CHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICOTT, NEW YORK, A- CORIGRATION OF NEW YORK,ASSIGlTOR- TO THE TABULATING MA- NEW JERSEY.

RQTABY ALPHABET-PRINTING TABULATOR.

Application. filed Apri122,

The invention concerns automatic printing machines and more particularlyaccounting machines designed to print letters of the alphabet as well asfigures.

The usual type of accounting machine on which letters as well as figuresmay be printed has very long type carrying bars or the type carriersmust be turned or twisted, as well as moved longitudinally to bring oneof a plu-' rality of sets of typeinto operation. These alphabeticalprinters also have reciprocating type carriers entailing periodic shocksfor the machine during its operation. Accordin g to the presentinvention it is proposed to use a rotary drum printer for alphabet aswell as figure printing of the type disclosed in my prior U. S. PatentNo. 1,516,079, November 18, 1924, which obviates the use ofreciprocating parts and results in substantially smooth machine cycles.The printing drum disclosed in the patent carries a plurality of rows ofpivoted type carriers on each of which is dis posed a printing type. Asthe drum rotates these type carriers reach a predetermined printingposition successively and suitable call mechanism may be activated torotate any type carrier about its pivot when it reaches printingposition and cause its type to strike a paper carrying platen. Thisrotation of the type carrier about its pivot is effected while the drumis in motion and consequently the machine is a remarkably quick actingprinter of its type. Furthermore the printing drum is constantlyrotating and therefore. does not impart sudden shocks to the machine inits operation. The drum disclosed in the patent, however, prints onlynumerals, ha. 7 ing no provision for alphabet printing. It would bequite possible, of course. to place a type for each letter of thealphabet on separate type carriers and dispose these carriers around theperiphery oil the drum so that each might be independently selected forprinting in the same way as the numeral types are selected. This wouldinvolve a'drum of rather large dimensions entailing increased cost ofproduction and operation difficulties due to its size. According to thepresent invention it is proposed to provide a drum of substantially thesame dimensions as that-disclosed in the patent and to provide the extraprintinn capacity necessary to include the letters at the alphabet bymounting a plurality of type below ether on pirated type 1927. SerialNo. 185,711.

printing position and may be selected for printing when they reach thisposition by means substantially similar to that disclosed in the patent.Each type carrier in the pres ent case when it is in printing positionmay print one of several different characters and the platen carriage isshifted to different positions to select the particular type which is toprint. Ordinarily the type carriers will not be provided with more thanthree type, making it necessary to shift the platen carriage to threeseparate positions.

The alphabet is usually represented on tabulating cards by what is knownas a combinational index point system meaning that the designation of acharacter in the different card columns may be represented by two ormore perforations. The cardsare analyzed while in motion from which itfollows that the analyzing mechanism will sense the differentperforations of a combination successively. A translator is providedwhich is set up in accordance with the successive analyzing of thediflerent perforations of the combination and after the set up for acombination is complete it is converted into a single timed operationcorresponding to the particular character represented. In connectionwith a print ing device, of course, this timed operation is madeeffective to select the type carrier on which the charactercorresponding to the particular designation is mounted for printing. Themere selection. of the type carrier does not in itselfdetermine whichparticular type on the carrier is to print as this also depends on theposition of the platen. The type are divided into three groups one groupincluding the upper type, another the intermediate type and the thirdthe lower type. As the machine operates, the platen carriage is movedsuccessively to assume a position for receiving printing impressionsfrom the upper type during one machine cycle, to a position to receiveimpressions from the intermediate type during the succeeding machinecycle and to a position for receiving impressions from the lower typeduring a third machine cycle. Obviously then each card which is analyzedrequires three separate machine cycles in order that all possiblecharacters which may be rep.

This is taken resented on it can be printed. a a teasing, a ea-re at inthe present case by during one machine cycle in which its indexperforations are analyzed and then suspending the card feed during thetwo following cycles. Any character belonging to the first or uppergroup of type will beselected for printing during a first printing cyclecorresponding to the card feeding cycle. During this first cycle theplaten-carriage remains in position to cause printing of the upper. typeof the carriers. Then while the card feed is suspendedthe platencarriage moves to its intermediate position and during a second printingcycle any characters belonging tothe secondor intermediate group of typewhich might be set up in the translators cause the proper type carrierto print from the intermediate. type. Duringa third printing cycle, atthe beginning oflwhichcard feed is still suspended the platen carriageis moved to its third position 'to receive printing from the third orlower group of type for which setups have been effected in thetranslating device during the feeding of the card. At the end of threecard cycles another-card feeds to the analyzing device and the operationis repeated, each successive card thus requiring three printing cyclesfor printing of the complete data represented on it.

The principal object of the invention is to providean alphabeticalprinter for an accounting machine of new and improved construction andarrangement of parts to the end that'alphabet printing on :machines ofthis type maybe speededup. and that the printing may be effected withsmootlrmachinecycles.

nother object of theinvention is to provide a rotaryalphabetical printerfor ac-. counting machines.

Another objectis to provide an alphabetical printer for accountingmachines whose dimensions are small in comparison to-the number ofpossible printing operations which it can perform.

Another object of the invention is to provide an alphabetical printerfor. an accounting machine which. is free from heavy reciproeating typecarriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an alphabetical printer inwhich'the type are moved constantly. from home position through theirprinting positions and back to home position with an uninterruptedmotion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an alphabetical printerfor an accounting machine in Which a pluralityof type carriers areprovided for each printing columneach of which carriersmay be providedwith a plurality of type and in which a platenand the type carriers areshifted relatively to each other to select the different type of the-carriers for printing. a The invention may be clearly 'understoo from thefollowing detailed description Which should be read in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which. the same parts are identified bythe same reference numerals throughout the several views and in whichFig. 1 shows diagrammatically a representation of the mechanicalelements ofa complete machine;

Fig. 2 is a section through the printing drum and accumulator on line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section through the card feeding and analyzing devices online 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section through the translating mechanism showing atranslating device in elevation, being along line 4.-4 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sections on lines 55, 66, 77 and 88 respectivelyof Fig. 4,

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are details of the translating mechanism showing. theparts in different positions;

F ig. 12 is a diagrammatic development of the translating mechanismillustrating the method of translating a multi-hole combination into asingle timer operation;

Fig. 13 represents a card field with the character code representedthereon;

Fig. 14 is a detail of the platen carriage shifting .mechanism Figs. 15,16 and. 17 are details illustrating the operation of the type carriersduring a printing operation Fig 18 is a section through the card feedclutch box;

Figs. 19 and 20 are detail sections of parts of one of the clutchesinFig. 18, being taken on lines 19 -19 and 20-20 of Figs. 22 and 21,respectively;

Figs..21 and 22 are sections on lines 21-21,

timers shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 27 beinga section on line 27--27 of Fig.25;

Fig. 28 isan isometric detail of the automatic control mechanism;

Fig. 29 is a detail of the automatic control mechanism showing the partsin different position from that in Fig. 28, and,

Figs. 30 and 30 show the circuit diagram of the machine and-F ig. 28*-should be placed to .the right of Fig. 28 to form a complete circuitdiagram.

Referring first to Fig. 1 the motor for driv ing the machine elementsisshown at 50, con nected by a belt and pulley to a gear train indicatedgenerally at '51 and which through suitable extensions operates thetabulating shaft 52, the shaft 53 on Which the jacks for the switch barsand automatic control restoring mechanism and the regular cam contactsaremounted and shafts 54 and 55, the former of which operates the totaltimer 56 and the translating elements 57 and the latter of whichoperates the starter timers 58 and 59. The printing drum 61 and theplaten 62 are likewise driven from the gear train 51. The shafts 53,541, 55 and the drum 61 rotate constantly as long as the motor 50 is inoperation. The card feed clutches, enclosed in the clutch box 63, aredriven from the shaft 53 through a gear train 64. As will be hereinafterexplained, the card feed mechanism is driven from clutches through agear train 65 and the clutches are so arranged that one card will be fedto the analyzing mechanism every fourth cycle as long as the card feedclutches are in operative position. That is, a card will be fed to theanalyzing mechanism during one cycle and the card feed will then. be

suspended during the two following cycles. The machine requires certaincard feed cam contacts Which are closed every cycle and certain othercard feed cam contacts which are closed every three cycles. The formerare shown at 66 and the latter at 6'7 and the shafts on which theyaremounted are driven from the gear train 65 as indicated.

The machine is provided with a plurality of switch bars indicated at 70,71, 72, 7 3, T4 and 75. Switch bar 7 0 is called the adding and listingswitch bar, 71 is called the total print switch bar, 7 2 is the grandtotal switch bar,73 and 7 4 are the total with reset and total withoutreset switch bars respectively and 75 is the group indicating switchbar. The purpose of these switch bars is to connect certain operatingdevices with their controls in the proper machine cycles to carry outpredetermined operations. Their operation has been fully described in mycopending applicatiom Serial No. M7960 filed November 12, 1926 to whichreference may be had for a complete description of them. It may bestated generally that each switch bar carries a plurality of bridgingcontacts which are moved into circuit closing engagement with stationarycontacts to close certain controlling circuits.

The adding and listing switch bar serves to connect the accumulators andprinting call magnets with the analyzing mechanism or brushes duringadding and listing cycles while the total switch bars connect theprinting call magnets with the accumulating devices for control therebyin totaling. In the drawing each switch bar is shown in open circuitposition. The adding and listing switch bar is controlled from a jack 81which consists of a cam 82 mounted on shaft 53.

As the shaft rotates the cam permits a rod 83 to rise and release thebell lever 84; thereby permitting a spring 85 to move the switch bar 70to circuit closing position during the tabulating and listing portion ofeach ma chine cycle. The switch bar 70 tends to move to circuit closingposition during every machine cycle but during total cycles the totalprint switch bar 71 througil'i linkage 86 locks bell crank 84 isineffective to move the switch bar 7 0 to circuit closing position. 1

The total switch bars and the group indicating switch bar arenormallyheld out of circuit closing position by a jack as illustrated in Figs.23 and 24. The shaft 58extends through the jack casing and mounted onthe shaft within the casing is a one revolution clutch whose elementsare. indicated at and 91. The element 91 is'pinned to the shaft 53. Theelement 90 is freely mounted on the shaft and has a cam 92 rigidlyattached to it. Energization of a control magnet 88 attracts itsarmature and releases a latch 94 from latching engagement with a pawl onthe normally stationary clutch element 90. The pawl 95 when released byits latch engages a notch in the clutch member 91 by spring actionthereby coupling the members 90 and 91 together and causing the member90 with its cam 92 to rotate with the shaft 58 for a single revolution.During this revolution the high portion of the cam 92 depresses a camfollower 93 against the action of a spring 94:. The cam follower 93 ismounted on a rod 95 whose lower end cooperates with the upper end of anoperating rod 96 for the bell crank 97 one of whose arms is pivoted tothe switch bar 71. Depression of tile cam follower 93 and rod 95likewise depresses the rod 96 and rocks the bell crank 97 to force theswitch bar 71 into circuit closing position. The switch bar 71 remainsin circuit closing position for the major portion of the printing-cycleand is moved to open circuit position at the end of the cycle by aspring, not shown in Figs. 23 and 2 but indicated in Fig. 1, when thecam follower 93 moves upward onto the lower portion of the cam92 whichis presented to it before the end of the totalingcycle. The remainingtotal switch bars and group indicating switch bar operate in a similarmanner and itwill be noted that energization of a control magnet isrequired to move each of these switch bars into circuit closing positionand that when so moved they remain 1n circuit closing position forasingle cycle,

differing in this from the adding and listing switch bar which moves tocircuit closing position during each machine cycle unless it ispositively locked out.

The timers 56, 58 and 59, driven by the shafts 54: and 55,respectively,are detailed in Figs. 25. 26 and 27. These timers consist essentially ofa group of cam operated contacts whose function is to close certaincontrolling circuits at certain predetermined times during machineoperation. These timers do not operate constantly but only when the cardfeed is initiated and during total taking operations.

The timers 5S and 59 control the starting with a cam 107'on the shaft55.

of card feed and the timer 56 controls total taking. Each of thesetimers when set into operation is operative for six machine cycles tocontrol contacts as will be hereinafter described.

Referring now to Figs. 25, 26 and 27 the timer cam shaft 99 carries aplurality of cams 98 which are properly shaped to open and closecontacts 100 and 101 as required. The contacts are actually closed bypivoted members 102 each having a'portion resting on one of the cams 98and a portion in engagement with the lower contact 101. The drivingmechanism for thetimer cam shaft 99 is best shown in Fig. 27. A ratchetwheel 103, provided with six teeth, is rigidly attached to the cam shaft99. An operating pawl 104 is pivoted at the end of a fulcrumed arm 105which carries a cam follower 106 cooperating Once each cycle thecam 107rocks the arm 105 clockwise forcing the operating pawl 104 upward. Whenthe timer is in normal position the pawl 104 slides back and forth on anelongated tooth 108 which is long enough to prevent the pawlfrom-slipping off itand engaging the next tooth. The remaining teeth ofthe ratchet 103 are dimensioned so that when the pawl 104 is riding onany one of them, each of its movements in response to the cam 107 causesit to first rotate the ratchet together with the shaft 99 through 14; ofa revolution and then on its downward stroke to engage the next toothwhereupon the subsequent revolution of the cam 107 will cause theratchet and shaft to rotate through another of a revolution. After thetimer has once been started in operation then its shaft 99 will berotated once during six cycles of machine operation.

The timer is'started by the mechanism shown in Fig. 26. A disc 111having a notch.

112 in its periphery is mounted on the shaft 99. A pivoted multi-armedlever 113 has a pawl 114 pivoted on one of its arms, which pawl normallyrests on the brinkof the notch 112 in the disc 111. in this normalinoperative position by the supporting structure 115 of the armature ofa control magnet 116. A third arm of the lever cooperates with a cam 117mounted on the shaft 55. This last named arm, however, is normally heldout of the path of'the cam by the latching structure 115. Energizationof the magnet- 116 attracts its armature releasing the latch 115whereupon the lever 113 is rocked clockwise by a spring 118 permittingthe end of the operating portion 114 to drop into the notch 112 in disc111. In its next revolution the cam 117 engages its coacting arm on thelever 113 and rocks the latter counterclockwise pulling the pawl 114down and imparting a slight rotation to disc 111 and the shaft 99. Thisrotation is sufficient to cause the operating pawl 104 (see Fig. .27) toThe lever 113 is latchedslide off the surface ofthe elongated tooth Yandengagethe next ratchet tooth whereupon the cam shaft 99 will beoperated through a complete revolution during the ensuing six cycles ofmachine operation. The movement of the timer cam shaft 99, of course,terminates'after one complete revolution when the operating pawl 104again engages the surface of the elongated tooth.

The tabulating shaft 52 drives the severalgagement with those on themember 124 themember rotates with the shaft 121. The shlfting mechanismconsists .of a lever 126 which is urged by a spring 127 to constantlyforce the member 125 intoclutching engagement with a member 124. Thisshifting action is normally preventedby latch 128 whose end takes underan arm on-the shift lever 126. Energization of the counter magnet 130attracts its armature 131 and an extension 132 thereon rocks the latch128 from beneath the arm-of shift lever 126. The leverthereupon shiftsthemember 125 into engagement with the member 124. A lug on a sleevemember 133 fixed to the shaft 121 engages the shift lever "126 at apredetermined point in the cycle and rocks it into latching positiondisengaging the counter element 125 from the driving element 124. Themagnet 130 is energized in response to perforations on a controllingrecord andthe clutch kick out is timed so that the movement of thecounter element 125 corresponds to the number representedby theperforation.

Total printing is controlled by disc 140 which through a crown gear onits rear face and an elongated pinion on the member 125 is driven by thelatter. The disc 140 is provided with extensions 141 which coact with anarm 142 carrying a total printing bridging contact 143-at its end.Whenever the counter element 125 passes through a zero position one ofthe extensions 141 engages a cam surface on arm 142 and rocks the armforcing its contact 143 into engagement with total printing controlcontacts in the terminal block 144. The bridging of these lattercontacts closes the total printing circuit during total printingoperation.

Total printing may be effected either with or without reset of theaccumulator element and the reset selection is efiected through a Themembers 124 and 125' notched rock shaft 145. With this shaft in theposition shown in the drawing the spring 127 is constantly tensioned bya pivoted lever 146 cooperating with the edge of the notch in the shaft145. A total printing operation is initiated by energizing the counterelement 130 permitting the shift lever 126 to shift the counter element125 to clutching engagement with the member 124 as in accumulating. Inthis case the counter element rotates through ten points and operatesthe total switch lever 142 as it passes through zero position and iskicked out at the end of ten points of operation by a lug on sleeve 133.The number originally standing on the counter element is thereforerestored to it.

Totaling with reset of the accumulator maybe effected by rocking theshaft 145 to release the lever 146 whereupon the spring 127 is tensionedfor the time being by alever 148 held in spring tensioning position by alever 146. WVh-en the counter element 125 reaches zero position in thiscase one of the extensions 141 rocks the lever 149 from beneath the endof lever 148 whereupon the tension in spring 127 is released and theensuing straightening action of the spring shifts the shift lever 126 tounclutch the counter element 125 in zero position. The mechanisms thusfar described are common to my printing tabulator disclosed in thecopending application referred to above to which reference should be hadfor a complete explanation of them. They have been described verybriefly in the present case merely to aid in an understanding of thepresent invention.

The card feed mechanism has been modified to conform to the peculiaroperation of the machine which makes it necessary to suspend the cardfeed during certain operative printing cycles. Other improvements havealso been incorporated in thecard feed, for example, the discharge stackthrough which the card is delivered after being analyzed is placeddirectly below thecard magazine making each readily accessible to theoperator from a common vantage point.

Referring to Fig. 3 the card magazine having a stack of cards therein isindicated at 160, and the discharge rack directly below it at 161. Thecards are fed from the magazine 160 by a picker 162 which is operated byan oscillating lever 163 driven by a connecting rod 164 whose enddistant from the lever 163 is eccentrically pivoted on a gear wheel 165driven during one cycle and remaining idle during the two followingcycles as will hereinafter be explained. As the picker oscillates itfeeds the lower card of the stack in the magazine to an upper set offeed rolls 166, likewise driven by the gear 165, passing the cardsuccessively to the control analyzing brushes 167 and the addinganalyzing brushes 168. It will be noted that two control brushes and twoadding brushes have been provided for each card column.

The character code making use of a combinational s'stcm of perforationsrequires much less card space than the system in which each character isrepresented by a single perforation and the numerals and. alphabetunder. the combinational system can be compressed into a card fieldabout half the width of that necessary in the single perforation system.1t is quite possible therefore to provide two card fields one below theother on a tabulating' card of the usual size and dih'erentitems may beindependently represented on these two fields. Thev two brushes in eachpair 167 and 168 are spaced apart so that as a card feeds underthenn'one of the brushes cooperates with an index point position in onefield of the card while the other cooperates with the correspondingindex point position on the other card field, that is, as the cardpasses under the brushes one brush'analyzes one field while the otherbrush analyzes the: otherat exactly the same time. Items on the two cardfields may thus be entered into different accumulatorslor printed ondifferent printers. The brushes as usual cooperate with conductingcylinders shown at 169 for the brushes 167 and at 170 for the brushes168. The machine is provided with the usual card lever contacts whichare shown at 172 for the adding brushes 168. These contacts are closedwhenever a card is under the brushes 168 by a bail 173 which isoperatedthrough a rod 174 pivoted to a pivoted arm 175 of which anextension 176 extends into the path a portion of the card beinganalyzed. A card in passing rocks the extension 176 of the lever 175counterclockwise, pulling the rod 174 to the right as shown in thefigure and'rocking the bail 173 to close the contacts 172. Similarcontacts for the control'brushes are provided, which do not show in thedrawing as they are located directly behind the contacts 172, and theseare controlled by a similar rod 17 7 operated from an extension 178cooperating with the cards under the control brushes.

The path of the cards in feeding is indicated by the dot-dash line andeach card after passing through the upper set of rolls is delivered to alower set of feed rolls 180 which are driven from the drive mechanism ofthe upper rolls. 7 A pivoted member 181 is'rocked during each cardfeeding cycle by a ca1n182 also driven from the gear train driving thefeed rolls and the movement of the member 181 is timed so that as thecard feeds along the conveyor system its edge eventually encounters themember 181 and shortly after the cam rocks the member 181 forcing thecard to the lower rolls 180 which eventually deliver it to the dischargerack 161. A positive feed is provided for forcin'gthe card from the lastset of lower rolls 180 in the form of a member 184 which is operated toengage the trailing edge of each card through a link 185 and cam 186.

